PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would define street racing as a crime and stiffen penalties.

The legislation, which was approved Tuesday and now goes to the full Senate, would require that anyone convicted of drag racing have their license suspended and perform community service. A second or third offense would be a felony. Currently, there's no automatic license suspension for drag racing.

The bill is being pushed by a Bristol couple whose 17-year-old son was killed in 2003 when he was a passenger in a car that was drag racing. John and Lori Nunes pledged to keep pressing legislators the Justin Nunes Law is passed.

"The driver who did this to our son is out on the streets because we didn't have this law in place," Lori Nunes said Tuesday.

The American Civil Liberties Union raised concerns about the bill, saying the penalties are more severe than for other kinds of reckless driving.